MSc Econometrics and Mathematical Economics

Acceptance rate: Less than 5% (15 out of 320 students in 2004). Tuition: $30,500 a year.

Duration:Nine months full time.

Famous alumni: Many famous alumni failed to achieve such lofty credentials as the MSc in econometrics, but several world leaders — including former Indian president Shri KR Narayanan and former Israeli prime minister Moshe Sharett — achieved a BSc in economics.

There are many top programs at this internationally renowned school, but the most academically challenging and respected program is arguably the MSc Econometrics and Mathematical Economics.

Many of the top academics and politicians around the world have graced this school, including such notable names as John F. Kennedy (former U.S. president), Pierre Elliott Trudeau (former Canadian prime minister), Jomo Kenyatta (first president of Kenya), George Soros (billionaire global financier), and Robert Mundell (winner of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences), to name but a few.

In fact, the school has 13 Nobel Prize winners among its former alumni and staff, and over 30 former or current heads of state or government.

Without a doubt, this small school is one of the top in the world in economics, and a degree from this institution is a useful stepping stone into the world of business and politics.

Bachelor of Technology

Indian Institute of Technology

Entrance requirements:

High placement on IIT Joint Entrance Examination.

Acceptance rate: Less than 2% (approximately 5,500 admissions out of 300,000 applicants). Tuition:$1,100 a year (including miscellaneous administrative expenses).

The Indian Institutes of Technology are a group of seven technology and engineering schools in India that have won worldwide recognition for the quality of the education they provide.

Graduates from these schools are often revered for their practical and in-depth knowledge, and a degree from IIT is often seen as a ticket to success. In fact, the excellence of these schools hasn’t gone unnoticed, with many graduates being courted and cherry-picked for some rather lucrative jobs abroad.

In recent years, many graduates from Western universities have found it worthwhile to supplement their degrees with additional training from these universities. Among the more popular subjects are Extreme Programming and Pair Programming, both of which India has grown an expertise in.